mazdaspeed 3
vw GTI 4 door

 

GTI....enough said.

 

too many options for 25K.
Going hardcord, get a nice TT supra.
350Z or G35 coupe are in reach easily too.
GS430?
Little drop top fun, get a S2K...
ohh man, the list just keep going on.

 

Sorry for the delay getting back...my laptop crashed.


Using your criteria, here are my new-car recommendations for 25K or under:
(Some can be bought well under 20K)


Coupes: (if the person in the back seat is small)

Scion tC
Hyundai Tiburon.


AWD vehicles:

Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport/Forester/Outback Basic.
Suzuki SX-4
Honda CR-V
Toyota RAV-4 (4 cylinder)
Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner (4 cylinder)
Hyundai Tucson/Santa Fe (4 cylinder)

Non-turbo 4 cylinders with AWD and automatic will be a little sluggish, though.
The SX-4 can also be run in FWD for better mileage and acceleration..it has a switch that lets you chose between the two. And it starts at 15-16K.

Sedans/Hatchbacks:

Toyota Corolla/Matrix/Camry 4 cylinder
Pontiac Vibe
Nissan Versa/Sentra/SE-R
Honda Civic/Si/Accord 4 cylinder
Mazda 3/MazdaSpeed3
Hyundai Accent/Elantra/Sonata

Some VW products have been suggested by other posters.....they can be fun to drive but have unreliable electronics.

 

another problem is, he is currently driving a ML, does he really wanna downgrade so much to get Hyundai or Etc.?

 

When I recommend vehicles, I don't do so lightly...it is for a reason. Usually it is because I know the vehicles and believe they will meet that person's needs at the price they can afford.

The new Hyundai SUV's, dollar-for-dollar, IMO are better buys than the ML. Their prices, build quality, potential reliability, and refinement, IMO, are all excellent. There is almost nothing I didn't like about the new Santa Fe, although its handling is not as crisp as the ML's (he said handling was not a big priority anyway). In fact, I liked the Santa Fe more than its bigger brother Veracruz...the Santa Fe had better steering feel.

When you shops for a new car, you sometimes have to forget "image" and concentrate on what you get for your money. That is one reason why I myself bought an Outback instead of a more expensive car.....for the money, IMO, Subarus makes some of the best AWD daily drivers on the planet.

 

wow....25k??? Thats not considered spoiled? Boy I must be poor as hell......

IMO a smart person, who's not looking for anything special now would just put about 1/2 to 3/4 of that in the bank and just get a car that might be a little older but has proven to be reliable.

 

Agreed....but young people usually have plenty of time to save. There's nothing wrong with having a couple of nice things in life once in a while, IF you are sensible, know your limits, and don't splurge too often.....and a brand-new vehicle, IMO, is DEFINITELY one of the nicer things in life.

 

Tell mom lay off a couple days at Starbucks and buy you the IS 250!

 

How about a Used is 250 or 350?

 

Or how about a used IS 300?

 

haha did u get that from oprah? thats funny, Some lady was spending like 600 bucks from starbucks a month or something.
As for the other suggestions, im currently looking at all of them side by side, thanks for the help everyone.

 

used G35 coupe.. or used acura TL

 

update on first post...

 

Keep on looking.

There's always a way to lure a Lexus to your driveway...